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'Superman' Scientist is Leaving Wash. U.

Dr. John McDonald (photo from Wash. U.)
Dr. John McDonald (photo from Wash. U.)

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis, MO – The Washington University neurologist who helped treat actor Christopher Reeve is leaving St. Louis.

Dr. John McDonald is headed to Baltimore to start a spinal cord injury program at Johns Hopkins University similar to the one he started at Washington University.

McDonald developed a treatment plan that helped Reeve two years ago regain some movement and sensation after Reeve was paralyzed.

McDonald is a proponent of using stem cells as a possible source of replacement nerves to repair injured spinal cords. He says Missouri lawmakers' attempts to ban human embryo research would hurt Washington University and help other states to lure its researchers away.

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